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When clothed pads of feet made their way down the hall you shot a quick smile over your shoulder, each of your hands carrying a warm plate. Chishiya nodded silently back in response, he never did fully stare you in the eye's during the morning. He stopped for a second, leaning into the door frame so he could tug his sweats back down over his ankle - it must had rid up his calf sometime in the night.
Huffing in amusement, you waited for him to take a seat at the table before pushing the plate of food towards him.
You meet Chishiya during the Jack of Hearts game.
Or rather, you knew him through Ippei.
You had joined the Hearts game far earlier than necessary, it was the first blimp you came across while running from the array of bullets and reluctantly, with tried limbs and a desperate need for coverage - joined the game. The stone walls were cold, and your jaw clenched when the cells bars came into view - everything about the situation was eerie, the hovering couple that eyed your every step just made it worse.
For awhile it was just you and them.
You stood on the opposite end of the floor.
One by one the group increased in size, everyone very different than the next - observing the situation as time passed is what pushed you to introduce yourself to Ippei, he was shuffling his weight on each foot and stood alone in a dark corner, eyeing everyone like they were a snake about to strike out.
Poor kid looked like he was about to bolt for the door or pass out at any moment.
You were naturally an anxious person, and maybe that's why you sympathized with him enough to talk to him - or maybe his skittish behavior was making yourself increasingly nervous.
He was shy, and timid - and he seemed to appreciate your appearance more than you anticipated. And so you stayed, killing your boredom and the mans nerves simultaneously - he talked about his animals back home, you shared details about yours and encouraged him to talk about his hobbies he deemed were too "childish" to share.
You left some time in between, after Ippei lightheartedly declined your invitation you sought out the building - multiple gendered bathrooms, dozens of cells, and a room stocked with in-date food. When you came back with a large bag of cookies, Ippei was talking with someone.
Someone new.
He had shoulder length bleached hair, and dark hooded eye's, so much so they almost looked pitch black at first glance - and he was staring at you. Cause Ippei was motioning at you to join them, and for a moment you almost walked away. He was a lot more intimidating than Ippei, and the difference in dynamic mixed with the clear fact that he had to come up to Ippei first is what worried you.
And yet you still moved to their direction, and you still held out the opened bag towards Ippei, and he still took it with multiple thanks, because of course he did, and you even held the package out to the blond. A silent "please don't kill me" undertone followed your actions.
With a shallow breath, he hummed and grabbed a small handful - much to your surprise, and thankfully didn't threaten you in any way. Who would have known cookies could save your life?
And that was it. For the remainder of the game you two passed cookies around and didn't kill each other. Not when people grouped up, slowly taking turns in betraying each other, not when you stood silently by Ippei's cell, never daring to look in- Chishiya even had the decency to stand next to you for a few minutes, before turning around and walking away without either of you sharing a word.
When the game ended you followed him silently.
"..Can I come with you?"
"No."
And yet still, your footsteps followed behind his in sync, he knew you were there without having to turn around.
"Please?"
Chishiya sighed, "If your going to follow me anyways, why ask?"
"Common courtesy."
You picked up on the undertone of re-direction Chishiya tried to send your way- taking sharp turns and even pointed out a flock of pigeons that seemed to enjoy humans more than most- but you were in no rush. You stayed behind and stared at the pigeons for a while until you got bored, and until Chishiya was out of sight to start following his fresh footprints made in the dusty road.
When you saw he was rummaging around a convenience store, quite close to where he left you, you deemed he couldn't have minded you following him all that much if he stayed in a vicinity he knew you could find him at.
And that's how you ended up staying together, with Chishiya letting you tug him around to find a vacant house next to a clean stream, you gracing the house with a generator that works with solar power. If Chishiya was honest, it was about as convenient as the Beach, and considering the lack of Niragi - maybe even better. And, possibly, that's why he stayed.
With a high eyebrow he glanced between you and the plate set in front of him, completely un-moving he asked, "What's this?"
You wanted to roll your eyes. It was, by far, not the first time you've cooked for the man sense you've started to share the house together. It's not like you were doing this out of the goodness of your heart, for one it would be a shame to not use the house for what's its worth, and two it took your mind off.. well everything. And without fail, every time you've presented him with a plate, or a bowl, or a cup of coffee - he always acts likes you just placed a bomb in front of him.
Setting your own plate down, you sit across from him and make an attempt to match his unimpressed expression, you accidentally (very purposeful) kick at his shin under the table. "Sprinkle pancakes."
"I know that," he grumbles out after a inhale of a hiss, you are given a sharp glare, "But why?"
You shrug aimlessly, "You lack whimsy in your life."
Chishiya accepted that answer, all though he huffed audibly enough to make it known he was displeased by it.
Chishiya doesn't fully understand you, you both knew that - and your not sure if that was entirely a bad thing. He questioned why you cooked for him, why you followed him, why you would willingly live with him when you would obviously be fine alone, I mean you've gotten this far by yourself haven't you? And all he got in response were shrugs, or half assed answers that didn't really mean anything - and if you were honest, your still haven't figured that out yourself. Not why you helped him, but why you helped him specifically.
What you did know is that you didn't like being alone - which you did tell Chishiya, and he wasn't bad company to have - so you decided to keep him around. After all, it's not like you left him much choice.
Through a mouth full of pancake he muttered behind a napkin, "I'm going out today."
You eye'd Chishiya for a moment, as non compliant as he acted around your cooking he always seemed to have a large appetite for it. Cleaning his plate every time without fail, finishing it in the same ten minutes you put it down - and at least five of those minutes are spent making sure his mouth and hands are as clean as possible. At least if you have leftovers you know they're never going to waste.
"Thank god," you say, "It's getting boring around here."
"You're not going."
You scoff, Chishiya has a knack of not wanting you to go anywhere with him, no matter the circumstance.
"Chishiya, don't be so prissy." You scold, pointing an accusing fork his way - your insult didn't stop him from taking another bite, drenched so heavily in syrup you scrunch your nose up. It can't even taste like a pancake at that point.
"You're a hassle."
“Your ass is a hassle,” you retaliate, and when Chishiya stood up with an empty plate and walked passed you to the kitchen - you waited for the perfect moment before snapping a kitchen towel at him - just a little too far down his torso to even be consider his back anymore.
When he looked back you were innocently chewing down your last bite and staring at him questioningly, a hand towel laid limply on the other side of the room. The speed Chishiya spun around in was almost comical, your not sure your ever seen Chishiya move that fast willingly sense you've meet him.
"You're also childish."
Through his glare you could swear you saw just a flicker of a smile, a huff of amusement.
You let out an airy chuckle, "Can't deny that," A huff escapes your lips when you slump into your chair, you pause with your cup inches from your mouth and scan Chishiya.
"But you know, I need to go." You state, "I need a restock, and by the looks of it you could do with a bar of soap or two."
You knew what you were doing, and he knew it too - self care and whatever D-I-Y mechanical shit Chishiya was looking for were on opposite sides of the mall, therefor whenever you ran out, he was more willing to let you come along. Not that you need his permission, or that you'll listen to him anyway.
Chishiya dwelled for a few seconds - you could only assume wonder if you coming along or you complaining about him saying no was worse - although he's taking longer to contemplate than usual, and it made you wonder if this time he was actually being serious - but he nodded before you could take it back.
You tilt your head slightly in thought.
"You could do with an exorcist," he mumbles, taking your empty plate from the table, he looks thoroughly done when you huff out a sarcastic, "Wow, unbelievable, and here I thought we were friends." You decided to keep quiet after that, considering he looked a few seconds away from throwing your plate back at your head - or maybe that was always how his face looked.
While Chishiya made his way back to the hallway, you noticed he used both his hands to cover his backside from you - you had to hide a laugh behind your hand. For the sake of your life.
The street laid empty, bare before you. No people, no animals, no man made noises - nothing except Chishiya and your own footsteps. And so you let him appreciate it, the only time you spoke was when you asked earnest questions or were responding back to his little quips towards you.
"Do you always walk this fast?"
"Obviously your warm, your wearing a jacket in eighty degree weather. I didn't point it out cause I thought it was just another one of your weird quirks."
"Can you not walk straight?"
"Why are you touching everything? Can't keep your hands to yourself?"
Most of the time you wonder why Chishiya even bothers - what does he get out of staying with you? If you know what your looking for you can find a duplicate generator, there are many other open stream and vacant homes to pick and yet he stays in the one you choose - with you - and engages in conversation and eats the food you make.
You have given him multiple chances at leaving, as persistent and prodding as you can be you both new it was mocked-up for your own amusement and that you wouldn't cry or beg for him to stay - he knew that, and yet he doesn't leave. And maybe it's just one of those things you don't ask aloud, and so you never have.
Twirling a small flower between your fingers you lead a few steps in front of Chishiya, while walking backwards - you had asked him to throw something at you if there was anything behind you just encase, after all you knew he wouldn't have taken it up if you just asked him to just tell you instead.
You squinted at the plant while holding it up towards him, pearly white petals that matched his jacket and textured line that matched his hair, you smiled - yup, that's the one.
"What are you doing?"
"I got you something."
You jogged the short distance and held your hand out, his eye's followed to where your fell - his nose scrunched up.
Chishiya held it between two fingers, dangling by a single petal he asked, "What am I supposed to do with this?"
You scowl at him, how ungrateful, "Sleep with it, tape it to your mirror, braid it into your hair-" you sarcastically remark, one foot after the other you stepped backwards, "-or you could be a normal person and just keep it."
"Why would I keep-"
As soon as your heel felt the jagged fall of your foot you knew what was coming, your body instinctively let out an 'oofh' sound when falling ass first down onto hard concrete.
You hissed sharply.
A pointed rock dug harshly into your skin, it prodded so hard into your muscle your sure it left an indent and Chishiya - the bastard - laughed.
A real laugh.
The first you've ever heard come out of the man, so much heavier than his usually light huffs of breath he lets out - and of course, it was at that.
Chishiya plucked a petal off the flower, and made an exaggerated 'throw' motion of it at your fallen figure.
"You're a bitch. Did you know that?”
Chishiya shrugged, a light shake of his shoulders still lingering from his laugh.
You followed up with strings of cuss words, having to help yourself up and rub out the pain in your hip - before turning around you notice Chishiya's finger loosen around the stem.
"If you drop that I'm killing myself."
Chishiya snorts, "Promise?"
From the first gun shot you already had a grasp of who it involved.
You were still inside the mall, searching around for more toothpaste and gauze - you even stocked up on a few unscented bar soaps to humor Chishiya. He had left you as soon as you too set foot in the mall, turning a sharp corner and mumbling out a "If you need me, don't."
By the time your brain even registered his comment he was too far gone to hear you comment back, you had to retaliate by flipping the back of his head off. Not as satisfactory, but it'll do.
It was uncannily quiet - just like always, and there was an uncomfortable tense of your body when the shot rang through the air. It echoed around the mall is waves, a mock sound in your ear - It made you stop your hand mind air, and for a second you didn't breath. A single shot, nothing like the kind of spades - your jaw tensed painfully.
A minute of silence, than another, and a another-
A second shot, a third, a fourth- you craned your neck to the window, to your irritation it was completely useless, covered in layers of muck and mold - your mind raced.
What were the chances Chishiya was stupid enough to get in a gun fight?
If you were wrong about him being involved, would you be willing to putting yourself at risk for the chance of his life being on the line? You thought back to his comment, if you need me, don't, did that also apply to you? Would he look down on you for reassuring yourself that he was okay?
Your eye's danced around the empty room, anxious and heavy breathed - in a split second you decided that it wouldn't matter what Chishiya thought about you if he was dead.
With heavy foot steps you jogged through the store, and out into the central building- faster than you would ever admit to him - and scanned the area hopefully. If Chishiya wasn't involved there would be a high chance he would wan't to be, or at the very least watch - you swallowed heavily, and tried to remind yourself to relax your jaw. The pounding of your lungs go unnoticed.
Chishiya wasn't here.
By the time you hesitantly peer around the entrance - hidden enough to jump back if you were threaten by another round of shots- it was silent, there was no sound to be made out, just the wind whistling in your ears. No heavy gunshot, no loud commotions, just.. nothing.
And if it wasn't for the sight of two figures, crouched down a few yards away you would have thought that you were going insane - the gunshots a fragment of your imagination- hell, in that moment you wouldn't be surprised if someone told you that Chishiya was too.
You let yourself slip from behind the frame, just far enough to squint blindly at the two. Neither of them were blond, which was a good sign - and your pulse should have calmed at that or the weight should have at least eased off your shoulders but instead it only made you glance around more frantically, throat clenching around itself tightly.
This was not the time to be playing fucking hide-and-seek.
Where the hell was he?
Unconsciously you took a few steps forwards, trying to seeking out every inch of ground before you - eyes scattered on around the road, at cars, in buildings- "Aw, shit."
For a moment, you were more worried you snapped your neck from how fast you turned your head rather than the man in front of you - although it was very short lived. Crumpled and bloody, fresh wounds mixed in with old scars that ran along his body - was he even properly alive?
The thought of helping him crossed your mind, although you didn't know who he was or why he was sprawled on in the middle of Tokyo street you did know that you had gauze - and a lot of it.
You paused to toe the gun away from him carefully.
He eye'd you for a second, than followed your line of sight to his wounds. He tilted his head back, just enough to stare into your eye's, a slight scowl burned on his lips- there was something familiar in his eyes. A certain vacant dullness in his stare at briefly reminded you of Chishiya - the mans scowl depend, dared you to say something. About his gunshot wound or his scars you didn't know.
Trying to find the words to say your head nodded, an almost frantic side to side motion, "Uh-"
A firm but uncharacteristically soft call of your name, and if you had time to decipher it you would almost say it sounded desperate. Throat muscles tensed as you swung your head around, tendons straining and yet you couldn't care - if you kept this up your head might as well just fall off.
"I would get away from him if I was you." Chishiya called, laboring his limbs to to try and sit up - his elbow shook underneath him before collapsing all together, he would have headbutted the ground if the boy with black hair wasn't holding him up.
A dark gradient of a hole bled through his shoulder.
"You know that piece of shit?" His voice was broken, raw and scratchy - his sentence broke in the middle, words coming out though gargles - and yet he seemed determine to finish it.
"Unfortunately," You croak - and after the initial shock still of your limps your feet dragged you forwards on autopilot, eye's that never left the pit that hallowed through his chest. You blindly searched through your jacket pocket - it was so unnatural to see Chishiya in such a state, one that left him vulnerable and raw, one you thought you would never get too see - you pulled out a large wad of bondage wrap, inhaling through your mouth when you felt your nose has become too restrictive of air.
It was even weirder having Chishiya openly stare at you while like that.
"Long time no see."
It was spoken through a breath, airy and light - his throat barley vibrating enough to be making any sounds at all. He was looking at you, or some place on you, you couldn't tell - he was bleeding and it was runing through the seeps of a hand and staining his jacket, his favorite jacket and you know it'll be a pain to scrub off and your don't remember the last time you took a full breath and Chishiya hissed when you tightly held the gauze to his wound - the girl moved her hand early on when she saw your attention to the wrap not touching the ground. What good will he be too you if he dies from an infection later on?
"Shut the fuck up."
"You this rude to every dying man?"
You held the gauze tighter, how could he be joking right now? With your hands desperately trying to hold his life intact? You glared at him through heavy lidded eyes, "Chishiya."
He grumbled something about you being 'no fun' under his breath, but hey, at least he was saving it.
"You're y/n?"
It was the girl, she had soft eyes and bloodied hands - blood of Chishiya's, warm, fresh blood that spilled onto the gauze, gauze that laid fisted in your hands - you blinked dryly. Your eyes stung and yet nothing was coming out of them - you swore it felt like someone was prodding around your brain from the inside.
You nodded silently, you didn't want to know how she knew your name or where she heard it from.
"You're doing this all wrong you know," Chishiya mumbles, his head still laid limply on the ground but now it was tilted at an angle he could see you at, "At this rate I'll be dead any minute now."
The word 'dead' bounced around in your mind like a ping pong ball, hitting each nerve that shortens your breath, and now you couldn't even come up with a snarky reply - you were half minded to tell him to shut up again, to save his breath - but all you could do was desperately push down a little harder on his wound, stack the gauze a little taller.
"Chishiya, I don't know what I'm doing, I-" You followed the strings of blood that fell in thick drops down is torso, they way they seeped through the bright clothes and the way his eye's seemed to soften ever so slightly around the edges wen you gave him a pleading look.
He couldn't die here, not like this, not by your inexperienced hands - not in a way so far from how anyone would've imagined it.
Chishiya huffed, but it wasn't malicious, "First off, you could calm down, I heard breathing helps-"
"Run!"
Guns shoots fire through the empty street, this time multiple - this time you knew it was the king of spades. Your flight or fight instinct kicked a small, fleeting thought to run, to save yourself, to shield from the bullets - but you ears were already ringing, and your hands were already stained and you knew you could escape - but Chishiya?
An amused grunt turned into one of surprise, than into one of pain - and you had to shift your entire body weight to lift Chishiya to sit up, one hand still occupied with putting pressure on his wound. You felt fidgeted, and you knew you were still slightly dazed but it didn't stop you from trying to shift Chishiya to hide behind a rusted car - one near a narrow alleyway that you thought would barricade the too of you.
Someone helped, weather it was the boy or the girl you didn't pay any mind too, but you mentally thanked whoever it was - maybe you shouldn't have been feeding him all those fatty meals after all. The position was awkward, and pulled at your joints in ways you didn't know your body could go - but it worked, a narrow miss of bullets shot a little too close to your head.
After some time the person left, and you clumsily pulled off your jacket to try and help aid Chishiya just a little more - thankfully when you glanced his way his eye's were still open, drowsily - but opened nonetheless. With a calculated pressure you knew would stop the bleeding, and yet not hard enough to harm him any worse, you pushed with one arm - another round of bullets, you feel beside him. A mix of mental and physical exhaustion assisted in pushing you down.
Another round of bullets, you brought your knees to your chest, a scream, you covered your head with your free arm - you were practically cuddled up to Chishiya, fresh blood stained your pants.
None of you spoke, both of you waited.
You were alive.
The both of you were, and finally it was quiet. The same quiet that flooded around you just hours before, when Chishiya wasn't bleeding out and you were of sound mind. You felt stitched in positions, never removing your head from you lap and staring blankly into the small shadow that loomed under you, your jaw itched with tightness - and whenever Chishiya's breath got a little too shallow, too lifeless for your liking you pressed a little harder and waited for his breath to hitch - this time it didn't.
Your breath caught in your throat when you looked up - his head lolled to the side, eye's closed and chest unmoving - and you panicked. Blinking rapidly you snapped in front of his face - no response - you shook his shoulder harder than you knew he would let you while alive- no response - you palm etched out, coming down with a loud 'wack' as it hit his face, his lead shifted to the other side lazily. No response.
Your nails dug crescents into your palm and you tried to swallow but your throat wouldn't let you, you were just vaguely aware of the small huff of desperation you let out before moving to strick your palm back out, his name on the tip of your tongue-
"Ow."
A heavy breath feel from your mouth, one you weren't aware you were holding.
"You asshole!" You snarled, falling back on your heels. "I thought you were dead."
Chishiya's eyes fluttered open passively, "Odd reaction to a dead man."
If he wasn't already on the brink of death you would've killed him.
You finger curled tighter into a fist, palms still lingering with the force of the slap - dejected you fell back beside him, even with your hand covering your nose your small sniffle could be heard - in fact it seemed to be intensified by the open area. Hair hiding your face, you looked away. Stupid fucking alleyway.
"Are you crying?"
Chishiya really didn't need his ego to be boosted any higher than necessary.
"No." You mutter out, because you weren't, and your eye's were dry and your nose was fine, thank you very much. And even if your breath came out unevenly, and your heart hammered through your rib cage and pulsed with every flow of blood - he didn't need to know that. And he shouldn't know that because he wouldn't care, so why do you?
"It's a perfectly normal reaction by medical standers - in fact it's actual healthier too cry, if we wan't to go into-"
With the same palm that etched across his face you covered his mouth, "Too much talking, not enough breathing."
He stopped for a moment, and just when you were about to pull back and let his airway breath freely a slick, moist feeling ran along your middle finger - it took you a second to pull back, eyebrows furred and confused before you stared at your wet palm in horror.
"Ohmygodohmygod," you searched frantically, brain scrambled and confused as what the hell you were supposed to do with that.
"I think the blood loose has gotten to you," You note, wiping your hand along his pant leg aggressively, Chishiya stared back indifferently.
"You told me to breath while blocking a vital airway."
You glare at him, "You have a nose."
Chishiya lifted him shoulders aimlessly.
You didn’t take the time to answer, instead cupping around your blooded jacket that laid across his chest - the blood subsided vaguely, but not enough to make you any less anxious. There was still free flowing blood, and every time Chishiya moved he let out a groan - which with Chishiya, meant that it sent shock waves throughout his whole body.
“What do you think doctor, am I going to make it?”
You squinted at him aggravated, although you couldn’t deny the slightly engaging tone he held, “Why is it that only when you’re dying you have the urge to talk to me?”
“Funnily enough, right now is the only time I think I can tolerate your presence.”
You bit the inside of your cheek, deciding to ignore the underline of his words - after all, that was the closets thing to a compliment you think Chishiya is capable of. With a light touch you fling the sleeve of your jacket around his neck, creating a solid nest on-top of the wound, “Fatigued and half unconscious? How charming.”
He, decidingly, ignored you. “I’m a doctor.”
This made you pause, “An influence from my father, really. About the only influence he ever taught me.”
Chishiya’s eyes scanned the sky, jumping for cloud to cloud - and you couldn’t tell where his head was at. Where was this coming from? A slight furrow deepened between your eyebrows, and not to discourage him you continued to work your way around his gunshot.
“It was a futile attempt. I felt the same before as I did after.” Chishiya paused to drop his gaze to you, “People like you irk me. Simple as that. I find your selflessness stupid, and your optimism childish - and becoming a doctor didn’t change that.”
For a moment you thought he was joking - ready to roll you eyes and push your jacket down a little harder - but with a hardened look you realized he was serious. Chishiya looked as though he just asked you your favorite color, calm and collected and entirely raw.
And though his front was put together, carefully crafted like a jigsaw puzzle, your noticed the way his shoulders tightened back like he was bracing to be pushed away, his own fingers crawling to your jacket in hand - he expected you to let go, to hit him or yell, and maybe thats what he wanted.
But you were stubborn, and you would hate to give Chishiya what he wanted.
Heavily sighing, you let your weight fall back into him, still being cautious of his side.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
You weren’t shocked to hear it. Disappointed? Maybe, but purely out of fact he tried something so obscure to urge you away - to deny a hand trying to help - and he thought it would be that easy.
You confirm an, “Okay.”
It was silent.
Chishiya breathing heaved a little more heavily than before, but his body loosened - you never knew he was tensed in the first place. Your breathing wasn’t any better - you swore a game of diamonds gave you asthma, making you breath spores for almost an hour straight - and even now if felt like they were blindly trying to claw there way out of your throat in every direction.
You felt a slight shift behind your shoulder, than a cold hand brushing your hair from you neck. Goosebumps appearing where his fingers laied - before resting on your pulse and he just.. stayed there.
Nibble fingers pressed against your skin, and it didn’t feel bad - farthest thing from it. And from time to time he’d circle his finger when he’d lose the thump of your heart, before finding it again. The motion would repeat.
"All surviving players will be presented with two choices. Players must now decide whether to accept permanent residency, or decline it."
"I want-" Chishiya voice was coarse when he spoke, and his finger dragged back down, "To turn it down, I think."
You gave a tiny smile, to no one but yourself, "I want.." his finger started to trail back up the hallow of your neck,"To accept."
Chishiya's finger froze.